Gezicht op Zwolle, vanuit het zuiden c. 1647 - 1663

This is Harmen ter Borch’s sketch of Zwolle, rendered with graphite, showing a skyline pierced by spires. The towers and windmills reach upwards, each a testament to human aspiration. Consider the spire: it’s an arrow pointed to the heavens, isn’t it? This reaching towards something beyond, this collective yearning, echoes in the obelisks of ancient Egypt. It is there in the minarets of Islamic architecture, each a testament to devotion. Over time, the spire has seen its sacred meaning dilute into secular utility as a mere marker of a city’s presence. Yet, it retains a certain aura, a whisper of the divine. The psychological impact of verticality is profound. It speaks to our ambition and suggests a striving beyond our earthly bounds, evoking feelings of awe and reverence. Like a persistent ancestral memory, the pointed tower connects us across centuries and cultures.